I'll Never Leave You
by PowerZone
Summary: One year ago, she was kidnapped and rescued but she did not want to forgive him. Apollo does the unthinkable and emotions are sent flying. Today, he etches the memories onto a special object and surrenders all his commitment to her: the one he loved and cherished the most, Athena Cykes. JustiCykes


**I'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU  
** A Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney fanfiction by PowerZone

 **Author's Note:** _To be honest, I'm bad… and really very sloppy in writing love stories. The idea for this story actually came from a conversation between a friend of mine and his girlfriend. They were talking about comparing relationships between teens and adults in their mid-twenties and their conversation was really fascinating and insightful. Anyway, enjoy the story ahead, it's a bit long, but I tried not to exaggerate the details._

* * *

A case done, a client satisfied for his innocence, the three defense attorneys strutted from the Courthouse – victory dinner would be courtesy of Guy Eldoon, whom the attorneys heard was already operating his clinic together with his restaurant. Along the way through the streets of the riveting lively city, they chatted animatedly about the final moments – especially in the part when the real murderer broke down in tears of frustration and grief. They were also sure that the prosecutor, Simon Blackquill, was satisfied of today's results.

Their dinner was waiting for them in the law office, kept neat and tidy by the boss's adopted daughter, Trucy, and her close friend from another world, Pearl. When the three of them were out of the office, the two girls would frolic and mess up the place, courtesy of Trucy's magic tricks. They were careful to tidy up the place when they perceived that any of the agency workers would return.

The living area was clear of any magic paraphernalia. The glass table had a noodle jumbo set from Eldoon's restaurant – the timing of the delivery was impeccable. The noodles were still steaming hot when the attorneys arrived.

"Congratulations!" Pearl greeted them jovially. "It's all over the news!"

"Thanks, Pearls," Phoenix said. He looked around the office; he couldn't suppress a wide smile. "The place really is tidied to the bone. Honestly, it looks boring without Trucy's magic props."

"Daddy, you told me to clean up the office!" Trucy pouted. Her dad laughed.

"Guess there's no sense in messing it up right now, huh?" said Phoenix, unbuttoning his royal blue tuxedo and hanging it behind the door.

"I guess not," she replied.

Phoenix then turned to his subordinates. "All right. Without further ado, our stomachs right now deserve some justice, so… dig in!"

And so they did. All five of them feasted on the hot and salty noodles, which Phoenix commented that Eldoon's recipe "somewhat improved." The victory would be celebrated short, so the attorneys relished every moment as they chatted vivaciously about the case. When Phoenix didn't want to talk about the case, they would move on to random topics such as plants, robots, Godzilla, and Star Wars. When the jumbo bowl was almost empty, the conversation steered awkwardly into relationships, making Apollo slightly nervous.

"So Polly, how many months already?"

Apollo nearly choked on a meatball served along in the jumbo noodle set. He coughed it out and brushed his mouth before answering her question. "Eleven."

"Our anniversary is in three days," Athena added excitedly.

"You don't have to get so excited," Apollo whispered to his girlfriend's ear.

"Why not?" Athena pouted and she playfully punched Apollo's arm. Despite the level of the playful punch, it still caused Apollo to drop the noodle bowl he was using. Such culinary masterpiece was ruined by the way Apollo looked at it scornfully.

"You still punch too hard," Apollo said to her.

"And you need more calcium," Athena replied, making the spill no big deal. "That settles it! We're going to the gym tomorrow!" Phoenix, Trucy, and Pearl laughed.

Phoenix Wright had already known that his two subordinates were dating for almost a year. In the first few months, he had to endure the topsy-turvy whirl of pleasant emotions flung across the workplace. He was annoyed at their conduct; but when Apollo and Athena proved to their boss their worth in the relationship and in the courtroom, Phoenix decided to give them a chance.

* * *

 **Over a year ago…**

It happened in the courtroom over a year ago when Athena was held hostage in exchange for a guilty verdict. Phoenix said that he handled a similar case so he did most of the negotiations while Apollo and Prosecutor Edgeworth worked with the police force to discover the kidnapper's hideout. Eventually, the kidnapper was discovered and apprehended and Athena was found gagged and unconscious. She was – thankfully to Apollo's immense relief – unharmed in any manner.

"I was so scared," he told her when she woke up in the hospital that night. "At the back of my mind, I was already thinking that you were already done for." His voice was clearly shaking, his hands trembling – the extreme level of fear getting the better of his rationality. "Mr. Edgeworth told me to be optimistic and even presented evidence to let me know that you were still alive. But… I shut myself to reality."

Athena looked away, a sign of rejection that Apollo feared in his working relationship.

"If you could find it to forgive me," Apollo said as he got up from his chair and walked to her bedside. "I promise that… I'll never leave you, ever again."

She was silent and still unable to look at him.

Apollo would regret leaving her alone when they were in that mall enjoying themselves. He would bear that stigma of putting her through such an ordeal despite her fearlessness. Worse, he would think that the events would permanently damage their working relationship. Apollo had been there – rejection. But to be rejected by the woman he considered his special someone would be one comparable to losing his best friend by the end of a blade.

"Apollo," she groaned, her energy still trying to build up to give her the necessary recovery.

"What is it?"

"When I return to the office, don't talk to me for a day," she said.

Apollo was genuinely shocked. "W-Why would you do that?"

Athena tilted her head a little. "Just… don't."

For a moment, Apollo tried to digest what she said.

"I need to recover," she said as she pulled the covers over her. "Please… leave me alone for a while, Apollo."

He didn't want to leave her, he promised that a few minutes ago. So he went back to his chair and stayed there for a long time until she woke up.

"You're very stubborn," Athena said when she saw Apollo still looking at the bed. "You've been there for the last two hours, I can tell."

Apollo moved as if relishing the feeling of moving from being a statue for very long. "I said that I'd never leave you, Athena."

Athena sighed. "You're really stubborn," she said again. But what could she do? No matter how many times she would tell him to go away, he would not comply. "Fine," she said, defeated. "On the day I return to the office, I don't want you to talk to me for that day."

There was no point in repeating the conversation. Apollo knew that he was pursuing a lost cause. Such was the guilt wearing him down like a ton of bricks and he would never forgive himself for letting everything happen. Apollo stood up and approached the ward door. Without looking back at a slightly worried Athena, he stepped out of the room and made his way back to the office.

Apollo sat on his desk and pulled out a piece of paper. He wanted to write a letter of apology to both Mr. Wright and Athena, one that would not involve drippy words or half-hearted sincerity. Yet the turmoil churning in his stomach could not make him pen a single word for the hour that he sat down on his desk. Apollo could not think straight.

He stood up and paced around the empty office while replaying in his mind the moments when he saw the unconscious Athena being dragged away helplessly into a shady-looking van. That was when he knew that he could not prove his worth as an attorney. Apollo always believed that a defense attorney was someone who would help the most helpless. Ironically, he felt helpless himself.

And just like that, he found the words to write on the paper. He didn't need more than a sentence to get his message across. Whoever would read the paper would not find him.

" _Defense attorney Apollo Justice chooses 'death'._ "

Phoenix Wright picked up the paper the next day and read the sentence for three times before he crumpled it into a ball. He picked up his cellphone and tried to contact his subordinate. Not surprisingly, there was no reception on the other side – maybe Apollo turned off his phone to avoid getting contacts, maybe his cellphone fell down on a creek, or maybe… maybe…

"We have to find him!" Phoenix demanded as he picked up his cellphone again, this time contacting Miles Edgeworth. When the other line responded, Phoenix wasted no time with greetings. "Edgeworth, emergency!" He paused. "Apollo's missing. All he left in his desk was a note about _choosing death._ " Another pause. "No dammit! It's not like what you did. The way he wrote suggests that he's really going to do it!" The third pause. "Right away, Edgeworth." He ended his call.

On the sofa, Athena was fully recovered but was shaking in nervousness. She gripped her arms to keep them still, but she couldn't keep herself calm. Her breaths were getting short. She felt like she was about to faint.

"Where could we find him?" Phoenix snarled. He let out his frustrations as he called the precinct and his acquaintances, none of which saw him for the past two hours.

Athena wanted to let it all out. She wanted to let her boss know that if Apollo were found dead, she would be the one responsible for his death. But she didn't want to inject more doses of frustration on her boss. Athena seemed helpless, beleaguered by her emotions that couldn't decide on how she was supposed to feel. The tension was rising inside. And when it swelled further, Athena heard a voice, a gentle voice. The voice broke out in pealing of bells that interpreted, "Tell the truth." And she let it loose – a curdling scream of emotional pain.

Phoenix rushed over to the sofa where Athena sat a few moments ago. This time, she was crouched on the floor. Her hands were clawing the floor. Tears of grief plopped down like raindrops on concrete. But her sobs wailed and prevailed. "It's my fault," she screamed. "It's my fault if he dies. It's my fault!" She said it repeatedly and was not close to stopping any moment.

Just as Phoenix was about to enter burnout, his cellphone rang again. The call this time came from Pearl. "Pearls!" he shouted.

"M-Mr. Nick!" she wailed. "I f-found him! He… he's…"

"Don't tell me!"

"He's alive," Pearl continued. "And… he's standing on the bridge!"

Phoenix was still in his mid-thirties but he was on his way to a coronary. "W-What bridge?"

"T-The bridge – Dusky Bridge – in Hazakura Temple!"

Phoenix recoiled so hard that he bumped on the table behind him, scattering Athena's workfiles. "It's a two-hour travel up there," he snapped. "I hope you can try to hold him down until we get there." He was lucky to survive when he fell into the river nearly ten years ago. However, conditions had changed and the river was roaring even mightily than before.

"We're trying," Pearl wailed some more. "B-But it looks like he might jump off any moment."

"DON'T TELL ME THAT," he burst, his anger uncontrollable. "Just keep him at bay!" With that, he ended transmission and walked over to the mess he made.

The mess contained Athena's papers and notes from her reviewers back from law school. However, one part of the mess struck him as odd. Phoenix picked it up and examined it closely. It was a photograph of his two subordinates posing at the entrance of Dusky Bridge in Hazakura Temple. They visited the place during one of their free time. He noticed how Apollo and Athena had a hand on each other's waist. Phoenix flipped the photo and saw Athena's handwriting scrawled in fading ink:

" _I'll never leave you._ "

Now Phoenix was convinced.

"Athena," he said sternly as he inserted the photograph in his tuxedo pocket where he also kept a locket with a picture of Trucy in it. "Get up."

Athena looked up. "W-Why?"

"We're going to Hazakura Temple," he told her. "Let's go, there's no time to lose!"

* * *

The Hazakura Temple was a special place for Phoenix. He explained to them during an afternoon of storytelling about a complicated case that involved many supernatural aspects. For an hour, they were spellbound with everything that he had to narrate and even showed them the casebook that he compiled years after the end of the trial. Their visit to Hazakura Temple months ago was a testament to the insatiable wonder and the thrills of fear Phoenix experienced when he was caught in the middle of that devious master plan back then.

Nearly everything had changed in Hazakura. Ever since the trial of Sister Iris drew public attention, Hazakura Temple never seemed lonely. Twice or thrice a month, monks from all around the world would want to get a taste of meditating in their Sacred Cavern and find some enlightenment from standing under a freezing waterfall during December. For that, facilities had to be improved: Dusky Bridge was sturdier and was now made out of cement and metal. Heavenly Hall located five minutes away from the bridge was now a recollection venue where visitors would spend hours of isolation and meditate in deep reflective silence. The Inner Temple had aesthetic improvements inside and out and the garden lantern was fixed so that the illumination it gave during night shone bright than before it broke out. The Sacred Cavern was now adorned with dimly-lit torches to give the same eerie feel.

The road from the main hall to Dusky Bridge was improved. A walkway was situated at the side to provide easy walking since the place around the temple snowed almost throughout the year. The open path was still used for the snowmobiles to traverse quickly from the main hall to Dusky Bridge and back.

For a person not affiliated and unappreciative of the spiritual world, wearing plain clothes in the section of the mountains was suicidal. Phoenix suffered a nasty cold when he fell off the bridge and it hampered his progress in the investigation during a murder. His years of endurance and the use of the Magatama seemed as if he was being protected from the cold so all he needed was a thick jacket over his suit to protect him from the chill. Athena wore the same winter clothing attire when they visited previously.

Three police cars were parked in front of the temple. Two police officers were guarding the vehicles while the others were further up by the bridge. One of the police officers who knew Phoenix approached the attorney.

"Where is he?" Phoenix demanded.

"Still on Dusky Bridge," the officer answered hastily.

"Situation?"

"He's been standing on the edge for almost three hours."

"Is he wearing at least a thick layer of clothing?"

The officer shook his head. "All he wore aside from his usual lawyer attire was that blue cape from the Space Station."

"It's him all right," Phoenix muttered. "Let's go." He shook Athena's wrist then led her forward.

The main building was at the top of the hill in which they had to ascend three flights of stairs, one-hundred fifty steps each. A tourist who would walk leisurely to arrive at the top would feel exhausted when he would complete ascending the stairs. Situations were tense right now and Phoenix and Athena moved quickly, wasting not a single second more in the dim hopes that a grim outcome could happen if they delayed. The two of them caught their breath for a few seconds when they made it to the top of the hill.

"Mr. Wright," one of the temple sisters, Sister Iris, emerged from the main hall and approached the two of them. "Thank goodness you arrived!"

"I have no time to waste," Phoenix said to her. He turned to Athena. "Athena, you should go ahead. I'll follow as soon as I finish some matters here."

"But Mr. Wright…"

"Just go," Phoenix snapped.

Athena obeyed as she stepped back then jogged down the path to Dusky Bridge.

When Athena was out of earshot, the nervous attorney turned to Iris. He would always remember her for the moments they were together back in college. The present situation however needed no nervousness since Phoenix would need all the information to piece together everything he knew. Slowly, he reached into his pocket.

"Let's talk inside," Phoenix said to her.

Iris nodded and the two of them walked into the warmth of the main hall. The other sister was not around, maybe she was still talking to the officers in Dusky Bridge.

"What's going on, Mr. Wright?" she asked softly when the two of them sat down on the cushions. "We were having meditation when police officers arrived and began asking questions."

Phoenix took a deep breath. "Remember my subordinate? The one in the red suit and with demonic-looking horns?"

Iris said. "Y-Yes, Mr. Wright."

"Did he come to the temple?" Phoenix asked.

Iris turned away. "Yes," she said.

"Did you talk to him?"

She swallowed. "I did…"

"Tell me please," he said. "It's urgent and important."

"But he told me not to tell anyone," Iris said insistently.

And just that time when he asked her during that case, the surroundings around them faded into a ghastly black, shrouding them with a mystical darkness that only Phoenix knew and saw. Numinous chains started forming from the edges of the void and entangled themselves around Iris while three Psyche-Locks bound her secret from telling Phoenix what she heard and knew.

Phoenix realized that he would need evidence. Anything connected to break her secret might be another two hours away – and by then, the worst would have happened. He had to change his line of questioning. "Did he say anything about a girl?"

"Yes, but he was being very vague."

"What did he say?"

Iris took a deep breath. "He said that he loved her and he felt as if she never recognized it – even when he went through great lengths rescuing her from some sort of a hideout… I can't remember the details. He then walked out and said that he would choose death."

"It's understandable," Phoenix said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And I think I have an idea what he meant."

Iris gasped. "You do…?"

After some tense silence, Phoenix reached inside the pocket of his tuxedo and pulled out the photograph that was in Athena's mess. "I think this will explain his situation."

Iris received the picture and looked at it. "This girl… she was also with you when you last visited, right?"

Phoenix nodded. "That's Athena, if you want to remember."

Iris looked at the picture again wonderingly.

"You want to know what I think?" he said. "I think he chose death… not the way we think we mean it. I think he chose this place because he found some special meaning that even I don't know. I think he's playing with her feelings, to draw her in – so that he could move in for the finishing blow."

Iris gasped again, dropping the photograph. "So Mr. Wright, you mean…?"

Phoenix was confident of his deduction. "He planned it from the beginning. Ever since that trial, he refused to go into the courtroom and risked his life to go with the police force and save Athena. He was scared of losing her, he told me that night when Athena was kidnapped."

"You mean, Apollo is testing Athena?"

"Could be, but I don't know what will happen when the two of them will meet… in the middle of Dusky Bridge."

Iris picked up the photograph and looked at it again. Her lips trembled for a moment. "He told me… he told me not to tell anyone that he loved her deeply even if he would go to the ends of the earth, even if he would go to the afterlife to look for her."

"Typical romantic Apollo…"

"He also chose this place because he knew in case Athena somehow died in the future, he would always call on someone who could channel her spirit."

Phoenix nodded. Everything finally made sense. The tension that had caused turmoil in him had diminished. The three Psyche-Locks bound to her chest broke simultaneously and the chains unwound and disappeared to some dimension behind her. The ghastly veil subsided and the environment returned to normal.

"I'm amazed that he learned the basics of spiritual channeling in such a short time," Phoenix said. "Sounds like he's becoming more of a realist than any other attorney out there."

The main hall doors opened and Pearl stepped in.

"Mr. Nick!"

"Pearls, what is it?"

"Athena's…" She spotted Iris then looked at Phoenix. "Mr. Nick! You're…"

Phoenix remembered that whenever he was caught stealing glances or even talking with Iris, he would receive a spanking for offending Pearl. Unfortunately, the times caught up with them and Pearl looked as if he was ready to assault him. He had to act fast.

"Interrogating," he said, finishing her sentence and hopefully not misleading her. "If we were to hold a trial, Iris would be a witness. I'm just asking her if Apollo dropped by the temple."

Pearl put a hand over her mouth. "Oh… I see…"

"What's happening in Dusky Bridge right now?" Iris asked, concerned.

Pearl bit her thumb, her tic of nervousness. "I met Ms. Athena on the way back. She was really running the marathon. And… she was crying."

Phoenix smiled. "Perhaps it's that time…"

"Why are you smiling, Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked angrily, looking ready to pounce on him and give him a flurry of the good times. "Can't you see that Mr. Apollo could jump over the bridge anytime and fall to his death?"

Whenever Phoenix had something in mind that he was definitely very sure, it was very hard to change his mind. "I'm smiling because something's about to happen – and it's not that he would jump down to the river." He turned to Iris then asked a question that the two of them wouldn't understand until later that evening. "Is there an available room for two?"

* * *

After that incident when lightning struck Dusky Bridge years ago, the bridge was renovated so that it would be sturdier. After months of work, the bridge was concretized and lampposts were situated on both ends of the bridges and at the center of the bridge. The side of the bridge was reinforced with glass so that people who would walk on the bridge would get a good view of Eagle River without the fear of falling over.

Apollo was seated on the glass railing and he only needed to push his body backward to plunge into the cold depths. He sat down when he grew weary of standing. He stood up when he grew weary of sitting.

Since none of the police cars would reach Dusky Bridge, the officers were assembled at the foot of the bridge. They were told that if anyone would interfere, Apollo might get himself off the edge. They were working on a game plan, none of which had good outcomes and none of which could lead to a good ending. Every minute they became frustrated. Every minute he would just let it all end.

Apollo sighed and shook his head in disappointment. He wanted to see her one more time so that he could mean it. He wanted to make sure that the manner he "chose death" was the way it would be perceived. Somehow, dying from the cold wasn't as bad as he thought. If his body temperature was freezing, the officers could rush up to him because he would be physically weak to stand up. But he could also take the easy way around and just take the plunge.

For the first time in three hours, he closed his eyes and imagined the scene that would unfold in case she arrived. What would he tell her in his final moments? What if he left his spirit behind so that he could see how Athena reacted? What would Mr. Wright think of the situation? But he also thought of Trucy, of Pearl, of Eldoon, of everyone he worked with in his cases, of all his clients he fought so hard to give them their innocence. If the world lost another attorney to the casualty of being swallowed up from all rationality by the overwhelming feeling of emotional turmoil, he would simply become another statistic in the overall mortality – and no one would really miss him.

But she would, Apollo thought. Maybe she would spend the next weeks of nights crying and wailing. Maybe she would stop going to work and turn in her badge. Maybe she would run far away from reality. He didn't like those thoughts. Apollo would persist in what he had to do and he would not want Athena to think of all the negativity that may follow.

Apollo felt the cold like it was comforting him instead of stinging him. He learned how to embrace the chill when his emotions and his temper became too hot, causing him to singe his thoughts. Snow fell lightly but the sun was hiding behind an overcast of clouds. In a few hours, as long as the officers were still dumbfounded, the afternoon winds would blow and the temperature would drop sharply. The cape would not protect him any longer and he would succumb to hypothermia. For now though, the cold never bothered him anyway.

He opened his eyes because he heard someone call his name. He looked around and squinted his eyes to get a closer look at what the officers were doing. Many of them were walking on the edge of the cliff, trying to find some alternate path that would let them reach him without any harm. Yet, the new presence on the end of the bridge made him jump in excitement.

"Apollo!" she yelled at the top of her voice. "Don't jump!"

He muttered. "Athena…"

* * *

A police officer was restraining her while Athena struggled to break from his grip. "Miss, we can't have you go there!"

"Get… off… me!" she snarled. Athena finally lost control that she let her reflexes work over. With one swift movement, she regained her movement from the restraint then tossed the officer over her head. The nearby police officers witnessed the spectacle and all of them gasped in utter shock. "Nobody goes after me," she shouted to them, "or you'll end up like him." The officer's head was buried on the snow but he was – thankfully – only unconscious.

Athena was extremely worried that she never thought of the possible consequences. She never thought that Apollo would suddenly leap off the bridge if she would approach. She never thought that anything could happen leading to tragedy. The only mantra replaying on her mind was, "I have to save Apollo!" This she repeated with every step she dashed across Dusky Bridge.

"Apollo," she wheezed when she stepped closer.

Under normal conditions, Athena could jog for more than an hour and still feel energetic. The circumstances proved too extreme for her – the worry built up inside her compounded by the chilly weather made her lose energy more than she expected.

"Athena," Apollo muttered, watching her take a few more steps toward him.

"Please… don't…" she panted heavily that it was difficult for her to utter another word and take another step. Athena collapsed on her knees.

The rush of pity suddenly hit Apollo like a bullet train. Immediately, he got down from the railing and aided Athena to stand up.

"Please," Apollo said to her over the moaning of the frigid wind, "I don't want to see you suffer."

Athena was still panting. "S-Suffer…? It's you… I'm worried about…!"

Apollo touched her gently on her shoulder. "You don't have to worry anymore." He allowed her to recover so that he could hear what she had to say.

When her panting decreased and her breathing returned to normal, she placed Apollo's hands away from her shoulder. Athena looked up and stared at his eyes. His hazel-brown eyes were always piercing with kindness even when he were slumped over in the courtroom when the odds were going against him. She did not need to interpret how he felt based from his stoic gaze.

His gaze made Athena confused, though she would never show that in front of him – no matter if his bracelet would react. The sickening worry that boiled wildly in her for the past three hours simmered softly until the sprinkles of confusion was added into the recipe. As she looked into his eyes intently, Athena looked as if he wouldn't do what she thought he would do. In fact, she interpreted that Apollo was _joyful._

"You probably know," Apollo said. "You've been reading my eyes for two minutes and I think you already know."

Now Athena's internal recipe was full with the sprinkles of confusion. Somehow, she was deceived into thinking her best friend in the office would jump off and would be carried away to who-knew-where. After her interpretation, it didn't seem to be the case. Athena didn't know how to react. She didn't know what to say to him after knowing this. She felt beleaguered as if she wanted to jump off the bridge. The nerves were fighting desperately to get any body part moving and when they arrived at a compromise, Athena made her move.

SMACK!

When Athena regained her senses, she felt a stinging sensation on her palm. It was pain at first, but the pain quickly registered to the feeling of getting revenge on something that was toying with her mind.

Apollo did not react. He would let her vent her anger.

"If you want to slap me again, you're welcome to do so," he said it without the slightest tinge of regret.

This Athena did. With all the power she could muster even after hurling the officer who restrained her a few minutes ago, she let her reflexes move from the fingers to her palms and to her hands. After unleashing a flurry of slaps across his cheeks and not caring the slightest bit of his physical damage, Athena finished it with an uppercut that sent Apollo off his feet and landing on the stone cold floor of the bridge.

He coughed out blood but that was to be expected. "Are you done?" he asked and he coughed, this time dribbling out some more blood from his mouth. "You haven't said anything."

Athena looked away for a moment. "I hate you," she whispered. "I hate you for what you're making me do to you."

Apollo sat up, his hands buckling his knees. "That's pretty deep for someone who could punch a good challenge against Nine-Tails."

She was thoroughly pissed. "You made me worried for three hours into thinking that you would die and this is how you treat me?" she screamed at his face.

Apollo cringed slightly. "Did you really take that message seriously?"

"How else would one choose death and leave the note in the office?"

He shook his head then unclipped the cape. "I still have my badge here," he showed it to Athena – his badge still pinned on the collar of his vest. "If indeed I would commit such an act, I would have left it there in the office." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Geez Athena, for someone who really gets worked up over something, you're thinking about too much things."

Athena broke down in tears. "Dammit, Apollo," she sobbed. "You really had me worried."

Apollo smiled. "I'm sorry if things got out of hand. I never meant the police to come. Honest."

"Tell me."

"You should sit down," Apollo suggested. "It's a little warmer down here since the glass shields you a little bit from the cold."

Athena seemed reluctant. She would rather freeze to death than be _punked_ by some miserable excuse of a lawyer who gave her a near-coronary experience for the past few hours. She sat down on the stone floor beside Apollo and huddled her legs to keep her body temperature as warm as possible. "Tell me," she repeated, "and leave no detail untraced."

He took a deep breath. "That evening when we went to the mall, I went to the flower shop to buy a white rose. When I returned to where we were seated, you were gone." He narrated the events in which he panicked and went all over the mall trying to look for Athena. Eventually, he got to the part when he received a call for help from his cellphone and pursued her until he found her being captive and dragged into a black van, prompting the events for the case. Coincidentally, there was a murder in the mall and a suspect was apprehended. "On the second day of trial, I decided to bring matters into my hands." He asked Prosecutor Edgeworth's help and the two of them with a sizeable police force found the hideout and rescued Athena. A few minutes later, the client was declared not guilty that he was not the kidnapping mastermind and the murderer. How Phoenix, the lead defense, tied the events together, Apollo would have yet to know. "I was happy to know that you were safe."

Athena looked away guiltily. All those words she said to Apollo when she was recovering from the hospital, she half-meant them. Yet she was still holding some contempt for Apollo failing to protect her. "You were supposed to protect me," she said. "You said that you'd protect me before we would go out!"

"I… guess things don't go the way they're supposed to," Apollo responded. "As for why they would kidnap you, I would never know." He leaned his body forward until his head touched his knees. "That's why I said I would never leave you – back when you were resting. But I guess you were too angry at me for everything."

It was her turn for her to speak. "I didn't want you to talk to me because I had a lot of things running on my mind – our hanging out, the kidnapping, and even those moments when I fell unconscious. I was really planning to talk to you after work was done – but I guess we misinterpreted… and it led to this."

"I devised a plan," he admitted. "Had the kidnapping not happen, I think things would turn out differently."

"But why here, Apollo? Why did you choose Hazakura Temple?"

"Remember the time we visited here with Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked her. The situation they were in – sitting in the middle of the bridge under light snow conditions while the river roared mightily below them made them look like a bunch of nine-year olds talking about random stuff. "We took a picture. I placed that picture in your desk when you weren't looking."

Athena jolted slightly. "Oh! I… I saw that." She frowned. "I… should've brought it with me."

"There's no need to worry about that," a voice from behind jolted the two of them.

Apollo and Athena jerked their heads and saw Phoenix standing over the two of them.

"Oh… Mr. Wright," Athena started, not looking the least startled.

"That's a pretty crazy plan you hatched," Phoenix told Apollo sternly. "You should pick your strategies carefully next time."

Apollo laughed in embarrassment. "I was hoping that she would figure out what I was trying to do."

Their boss shook his head. "Seriously, Apollo. If you would just spare us the trouble, you should've just said that you wanted to meet in Hazakura Temple. Plus, the entire premise of meeting up here is also a contradiction of how you feel towards her."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "I… don't get it."

Phoenix folded his arms. "You said that you didn't want to lose her or leave her, but you kept yourself out-of-sight for the past few hours. Seriously Apollo, if you want to be a good boyfriend, you have to man up just say it straight to her face."

Apollo cringed. "B-B-Boyfriend?!"

"Oh, did I spoil the mood?"

Athena turned to him. "Apollo, what's the meaning of this?"

Phoenix took out something from inside his coat pocket and gave it to Athena. "This was in your desk. When I was talking to Mr. Edgeworth over the phone, I kinda messed up your table. Then I saw this and I was convinced about what Apollo would be doing."

They really had to hand it to their boss. He was really one step ahead of their time and wit.

"I think we need to give the officers an apology," Apollo told Athena.

"I took care of that," Phoenix told them.

The two attorneys looked at the situation at the end of Dusky Bridge. The police officers were looking at the bridge one final time before they turned and started walking up the path back to the main temple.

"This is awkward," Athena said.

" **I'm freezing,** " Widget beeped pleadingly. For a while, Apollo almost forgot about Widget because he flinched when Athena's technological necklace spoke.

Phoenix rubbed his gloves hands, cupped them, and blew warm air to them. "I'll go back to the main temple," he said. "Sister Iris and Pearl are probably preparing lunch, so I'll just… assist them in any way I can." As he walked the bridge back to the mainland, he said. "Don't stay too long out there, or you might be the one being asked to channel, if you get my drift."

When Phoenix was out of earshot, Athena turned her attention back to Apollo. "Funny how Mr. Wright says that…"

"Yeah…" Apollo coughed again hard and a bit of blood came out. "I'll be fine," he said to her. "Your punches really did a little on my internal organs – but I'll be fine later."

"Sorry," she said apologetically.

He shook his head and gazed at her. "I should be the one who's sorry." He adjusted his bracelet. "I shouldn't have done that – leaving that note, making you go nuts for hours, and letting people misinterpret things. But when I said about choosing death, I think I was simply running away from what I thought I believed towards you. Honestly… that day of the kidnapping was the day I told myself that I would unload everything that was on my mind. I would tell it to you now and then."

"That's… pretty deep," Athena commented for lack of a better remark.

After an awkward silence, Apollo said, "Are you still angry at me?"

Athena took a deep breath. "Yes," she answered bluntly. "But I guess this is how it's supposed to end up, huh." She gave the photograph to Apollo. "Look at that, we're posing together for a picture in the middle of a bitter snow day and we're still smiling."

Apollo looked at the photograph. He flipped it over and smiled. "I'll never leave you, huh…"

Athena snuggled up to him and rested her head on his shoulder. The two of them still huddled their legs to keep themselves warm. The sensation of sitting in the middle of the bridge while listening to the roaring waters kept them company in their senses and in their emotions. They would sit there for the next hour talking about nothing in particular and everything in general. They would exchange laughs as if their conflict never happened.

"As for the kidnapping, I forgive you," she said at the end.

Apollo smiled, the burden lifted from him – the heavy heart becoming lighter again. "That's all I wanted to hear."

"But if it happens again, I'll punch you even harder than while ago. Understand?"

He cringed slightly. "Fine, fine… Just don't have my hair ruffled like it already is."

Athena giggled then leaned her head in and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll never leave you, Apollo," she said softly.

* * *

 **Present day…**

"Earth to Apollo!" Athena was snapping her fingers in front of his face for a few seconds.

Apollo started up and returned to reality. "W-What is it? Did the Amazing Nine-Tails defend his championship title?"

Athena smacked her palm on her forehead. "You know what, when you space out then suddenly return to reality, sometimes you talk as if you hallucinated."

Apollo laughed. "It's just… the anniversary's in three days and I still didn't think of a present."

She frowned and fiddled with her earring. "You wanna know something? I don't really need a gift. What I just want for our anniversary is a boyfriend who'll always be there by my side when I'm at my worst moments. What I want for our anniversary is someone who'll text me and call me every night just to see me off to Dreamland. What I want for our anniversary is someone who'll give me chocolates imported from Borginia…"

His horns drooped. "S-Seriously… you're wanting to go to the gym tomorrow then indulge yourself in chocolates three days after?"

Athena raised a victory sign in front of him. "I think that's what you call… calorie balancing."

Apollo shook his head. "Perhaps I should look for another girlfriend…"

"Hey, I'm just joking!" She sat down on the sofa beside him then stroked his cheek tenderly. Apollo really liked the way she touched him because it made him feel special. "Really, what I just want for our anniversary is the wish that we'll make even more special memories."

* * *

 **Three days later…**

It was the same space in the mall, one year's worth of memories that started ugly ended up smelling like a rose. Although he entertained the possibility of _déjà vu_ , Apollo knew that it would be too much for things to happen the second time around. So he eagerly waited for thirty minutes as he held his gifts delicately. For the occasion, he let go of his deep red suit and opted to go smart casual in a red polo, courtesy of Phoenix Wright – a memento from long ago, he said.

Athena arrived as she ascended from the escalator and approached Apollo. Much to his surprise, she was not in her usual outfit when she was practicing her skills and talents in the Courtroom. What she wore for the occasion made Apollo blush: a simple pink blouse that stretched to her knees and comfortable sandals that made her overall look like a young princess. For the first time, she let her tangerine hair down, capturing Apollo's attention even more when Athena stepped in front of him. The glove wasn't present although Widget was still hung around her nick.

"You're… far more beautiful than I ever imagined," Apollo complimented, causing the blood to rush to Athena's cheeks.

"It's my first time I let my hair down," Athena told him. "I just… want us to be together for a while for this day."

By that, she meant that she wanted to let go of every ill will she harbored towards him because of the kidnapping.

"Anyway, I got you this," Apollo told her, presenting the gifts he bought.

"A white rose?" Athena wondered.

Apollo scratched his head clumsily Athena thought he looked darned cute doing it. "Well, this was what I was supposed to buy for you, but things got ugly." He handed the rose and its accompanying card to Athena. "This is a reminder that I don't want to talk about it again and that…"

He wanted to buy chocolates, but Apollo decided to get a gift that was more than the value. The white rose he bought, Apollo etched the memories into it. And he was giving them all to Athena, a sign of his surrender, his total commitment, his passion that he would be dedicated to the person he loved dearly.

Athena received both items as she held the rose's stem gently and flipped the card.

" _I'll never leave you,_ " the message read.

Athena read the short and sweet message twice then looked up at Apollo. "Perhaps I didn't need to ask for the chocolates," she said then flung her arms around him.

"Happy anniversary," he whispered in her ear.

"Happy anniversary," she whispered in his ear. "I love you, Apollo."

"I love you too, Athena."

He was hers. She was his. And they would never leave each other.

 ***** END *****

* * *

 _ **Reviews and constructive criticisms are highly appreciated. Happy New Year to one and all!**_

 _ **PowerZone**_


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